Is the Chase United Explorer annual fee worth it?
$150 a year · 5 trackable credits · about $518 in value
On paper, yes. $518 in credits against a $150 fee. But that only holds if you actually use them — and you only need the top 2 to break even, so the honest question isn't whether the math works. It's whether those 2 fit your life.
Below is every statement credit and perk on the United Explorer Card that can actually be tracked, biggest first, with a link to the Chase page each figure came from.
| Credit | Annual value | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Instacart+ CreditUp to $10 monthly statement credit on Instacart purchases. issuer page → | $120/yr | You have to use it · enrollment required |
| Global Entry / TSA PreCheck CreditOnce every 4 years. issuer page → | $120/yr | Posts automatically |
| United Club One-Time PassesTwo United Club one-time passes per anniversary year. issuer page → | $118/yr | Posts automatically |
| United Hotels CreditStatement credits on prepaid hotel stays booked directly through United Hotels. issuer page → | $100/yr | You have to use it |
| Rideshare CreditStatement credits on rideshare purchases; yearly activation required. issuer page → | $60/yr | You have to use it · enrollment required |
$518 in credits against a $150 annual fee.
2 of these post automatically
These need no action once the card is set up, so count them as money you'll actually get: Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit, United Club One-Time Passes.
2 require enrollment first
These pay nothing until you switch them on in your account, and that's where most of the wasted value hides: Instacart+ Credit, Rideshare Credit.
Track the Chase United Explorer credits automatically
Add the card and Cards With Benefits keeps every credit above in one place, with reminders before each one resets.
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